Could these wild work perks catch on?
While this isn’t a strict law, it’s a work benefit adopted by many businesses as a way to keep workplaces accessible to everyone, no matter how far away you live.
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Marriage permit: If you live in Spain and get married, by law you will automatically enjoy 15 days of holiday. Since 2005 this also applies to same-sex couples, and a few years ago the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that the marriage license must start on the business day after the wedding.
This is a unique advantage that almost every Spanish worker receives as soon as he takes the oath.
Customized workspaces: It’s not a common benefit, but US tech company Asana was giving all new employees a budget of $10,000 (about $15,350) on their first day to completely customize their workspace to their liking.
They can choose from sitting or standing desks, custom chairs, abundant plants or elaborate computer setups. But at the time they only had a few hundred staff, and as they have now grown to 4,000, this expensive advantage appears to have been quietly cast aside.
Hangover duration: Japanese IT firm TrustRing announced earlier this year that it was offering an unusual benefit to employees: hangover leave. Employees will be able to head into the office at noon instead of starting work at 9am after a big night out. I don’t see this trend becoming widespread in every workplace, but it’s a clear signal for the type of workers they’re trying to attract.
The way we work is changing rapidly, so it makes sense that the way we reward people is changing too. Having the right working privileges can never replace a healthy workplace and a fair wage, but every little bit helps.
Tim Duggan is the author of: Worc Backward: The Revolutionary Way to Work Smarter and Live Better. He writes a regular newsletter timduggan.substack.com
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